JapanXReader: Tick Tock Tick
by Kita Kudai
Summary: You and Japan are running from the Thing. It's getting closer. You get the idea to hide in the closet. Silently you pray that the two of you get out. You haven't even gotten to tell Japan you-  based on Hetaoni .


**This was based off the idea that in the game, if you did not move fast enough to get away from Ao Oni, that when you hid, it would find you in the closet. **

**I don't own Ao Oni or Hetaoni.**

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><p>Tick.<p>

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

_'s eyes widened. The Thing was coming down the hallway. You could hear it. You looked to Japan and instantly seized his hand. You weren't about to lose him. You had already lost America, China and Canada. You didn't know what had become of the others but you hoped for their safety. You would hate to think of what would happen now that three of the major countries in the world were gone. What would become of their people? But most importantly, what would become of you? Together you had worked as a team. Now that you were missing a few members, you weren't as strong as you were before. The monsters only seemed to get stronger, get smarter. It was baffling, to say the least. Nothing you did now could hurt it. You personally didn't have a weapon, so you could only punch and kick. Japan's sword was ineffective, unless he was around England and they did a combination of skills. But England had headed off to the attic with Italy to get the key to the front door, because there was a key up there that Italy claimed to have found when he was adventuring on his own.

"_-san-"

The look in your eyes made him stop. You looked around the hallway, looking for somewhere to hide. Since it was just the two of you, you might not be able to defeat whatever came after you. You found a door and instantly went inside. It was a normal room, just like the other ones, which made it all the more disturbing. As if it lulled you into a false sense of security, hiding what really lurked in that mansion. Oh how you wish you had known what was in the mansion before you came. You would have brought better weapons because there was no way you would leave Japan to fight by himself, or any of the other nations for that matter. They were your friends. Your breathing was rapid and you knew this wouldn't be enough. That thing could open doors, and it would find you there, and you would die. You needed to do something. It was then you noticed a cupboard, big enough to fit someone in, or two some ones if you really squeezed in. These were dire circumstance. Surely, Japan could put aside his personal space for his lire. Outside, you could hear the heavy footsteps get closer. So, you hurried, grabbing Japan's wrist. The man looked at you confused.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

"In here," you whispered quickly.

You opened the door, helping him climb in first and you both got in. It was cramped, and the two of you were close together, so very close, but you didn't care at that moment. You reached across Japan, and closed the cupboard doors, and suddenly the world was black. You sat in front of him, protecting him. If the monster opened the cupboard, you would die first because you were the closest to the door. Perhaps it was a bad idea to be in a closet, because you were as good as trapped if the door opened. It would attack you first. You felt terror spread in your veins like a poison when you heard the door open. It was in the room, in the room with the two of you. You swallowed thickly. You hadn't even got to tell Japan who you felt about him. You had only followed the others to the mansion because you hoped to get some time along with Japan to tell him about how much you cared about him. Instead, you walked into a nightmare with no way out. It was so close. You held your breath. It knew. It knew you were there. And it was looking for you. _'What if it finds us? Which one will it kill first?' _you wondered.

"Breathe, _-san," Japan whispered as soft as ash.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

It was then you noticed you had been holding your breath. _'Don't forget to breathe,'_ you thought. Although you had to breathe soundlessly, silently, still you breathed. This was a symbol that he was alive, that his heart was still beating. You were alive too. You could feel Japan's chest rising against yours and his own heart beating quickly. You could imagine Japan's own heart then. It was pumping blood, keeping him alive. If you were caught, would it go for him first? Would he die for you? Or would he run like America did? You could see innards spilling out, blood everywhere, bones crushing because they had already seen it with China and with Canada. You remembered the blood staining everything red. Any wrong move and the two of you would be gone, just like the others had been. You would be just piles of organs and blood on the floor, staining the carpet. You closed your eyes, trying not to picture your dead friends. They would want you to live, to escape, no matter the heartache their deaths brought you.

Tick.

Tock.

You screwed your eyes shut. You could hear the creature breathing now. It was right outside the cabinet doors, waiting for the two you to step out. You looked over to Japan. Tears were in your eyes. Japan just smiled sadly at you. He gently touched your face, a last tender caress before whatever you would face outside those doors. Perhaps he felt the same about you. Perhaps he loved you back, but you would never get to know, because that Thing was going to end you. You bit your lip, trying to keep the regret off your face. Your heart went out to Italy. He had tried so hard to make sure everyone got out. He had failed. But at least he could get the other nations out.

"I'm so sorry…" you whispered as softly as he had before.

You had doomed the both of you.

The doors opened. You couldn't even muster up a terrified cry as you saw the being that would end your existence. The monster was right outside. The two of you looked into large black eyes, knowing what this meant for you. There was to be no escape. Eyes that reflected your horrified expressions back at them. You raised your kitchen knife and swung wildly. With a battle cry you threw yourself forward, hoping to buy Japan enough time to get out of there. You would rather die than let him get hurt. What you didn't know was that Japan felt the same way as he drew his sword to fight as well, to defend you until his last breath. He harbored a crush on you for quite some time now, perhaps as long as your unknown crush on him. It most certainly wouldn't do to let you die before he told you. Even then, if he died and you lived, that was better in his mind, because life without you wasn't a life at all.

Tick.

Italy later found the two of them together, their bodies strewn across the room.


End file.
